Switch from ActiveCampaign to GoHighLevel without losing tags, automations, or deliverability

You want faster revenue and one system. Here is a clean 7 day cutover that keeps sending healthy, preserves segmentation, and rebuilds only what matters.

What you keep

• Contacts, custom fields, tags, list membership captured as fields or tags
• Opt out status, import as DND Email so you do not email unsubscribes
• UTM and click IDs, store in hidden fields on forms and checkouts
• Deal stages, map to Pipelines and Opportunities

What you rebuild

• Automations, use Workflows with triggers, If conditions, Waits, Goals equivalents
• Forms, replace with GoHighLevel Forms or Surveys, add hidden fields for UTMs
• Email templates, recreate in the Email Builder, then clone to Workflows or Campaigns
• Lead scoring, replace with Contact Engagement Score plus tag based intent rules

Before you start

• Authenticate the sender domain, SPF, DKIM, DMARC, then warm gradually
• Export contacts by list, include tags, fields, status, last engagement
• Export suppression and bounces, import as DND flags, email at minimum
• Snapshot all live automations, entry triggers, conditions, and messages

The 7 day zero downtime plan

Day 0, inventory and exports

• From ActiveCampaign, export Contacts, Lists, Tags, custom fields, Suppressions, plus any reports you need
• Document every automation, trigger, waits, splits, exit rules, screenshot key emails
• Decide list strategy in GoHighLevel, use Smart Lists for segments, mirror AC lists as tags or a field like ac_list

Day 1, deliverability foundations

• In GoHighLevel, set up the sending domain, add SPF, DKIM, DMARC in DNS
• Connect Google Postmaster Tools, check domain reputation, spam rate, authentication
• Create seed Smart Lists, recent clickers, recent openers, cold contacts, you will warm by segment

Day 2, contact model and import

• Create custom fields to hold AC data, ac_list, source, last_campaign, lead_score if needed
• Import contacts by cohort, map email, phone, name, fields, tags, import unsubscribes as DND Email, import bounces as DND Email
• Build Smart Lists that replicate AC segments, tag equals buyer, field contains ac_list equals newsletter, last_engagement within 90 days

Day 3, forms and opt in flow

• Rebuild AC forms in GoHighLevel Forms, add hidden fields, utm_source, utm_medium, utm_campaign, gclid, wbraid, gbraid
• Implement double opt in, Form submitted triggers confirm email with a trigger link, on click, tag confirmed and start nurture

Day 4, automation rebuilds

• Create Workflows for your top 5 AC automations, triggers to match AC, form submitted, tag added, stage changed, purchase events, email events
• Use Conditions for If Else, use Wait for time or event, replace Goals with “Event happened” checks and Go To
• Add DND actions where needed, compliance or preference center flows

Day 5, pipelines, tasks, and attribution

• Rebuild Deals as Pipelines and Opportunities, map stages one to one, auto create opportunities on key triggers
• Add tasks on stage changes, assign owners by round robin or rules
• Send conversion events to ad platforms, Purchase or Lead when payments or form submits happen

Day 6, template and campaign parity

• Rebuild AC email templates, check headers, footer, unsubscribe link, add preference links if used
• Clone messages into Workflows, QA links, images, dynamic fields, preview text
• Warm sending, start with recent clickers, then recent openers, then engaged last 90 days, hold cold contacts for later

Day 7, cutover and monitoring

• Pause AC automations, point all forms and pages to GoHighLevel versions
• Watch open, click, bounce, complaint, and block rates for 72 hours, check Postmaster and provider dashboards
• Validate email event triggers fire, opens and clicks route correctly, validate DND blocks emails to unsubscribes

Mapping guide, AC to GoHighLevel

• Lists, replace with Smart Lists and a “list” field or tags, example tag list_newsletter
• Tags, import 1 to 1, keep naming conventions, use prefixes, segment_, action_, product_
• Custom fields, import to matching fields, use for personalization and filters
• Automations, rebuild in Workflows, entry examples, form submitted, tag added, stage changed, email event opened or clicked, purchase received
• Goals, replace with “Event occurred” checks and Go To steps
• Lead scoring, use Contact Engagement Score plus score tags, score_10, score_20, increment or decrement via Workflow on key events
• Deals, rebuild in Pipelines, auto create on qualified events, stage change triggers tasks and alerts
• Suppressions, import as DND Email, keep SMS DND separate if you also used text messaging

QA checklist

• DNS passes SPF, DKIM, DMARC alignment, From address uses your authenticated domain
• Unsubscribes and bounces are DND Email, test one record from each list
• Double opt in works, trigger link sets confirmed tag, nurture starts
• Workflows match AC logic, triggers, waits, splits, exits, test a full path
• Email events fire to workflows, open and click routes are correct
• Smart Lists match AC segments, counts within expected variance
• Pipelines receive new Opportunities with the right stage and owner
• Seed sends land in Inbox for seed accounts, complaint rate under 0.1 percent

Common pitfalls and fixes

• Everyone looks unsubscribed after import, you mapped suppression to global DND for all channels, fix by setting only Email DND, then re enable other channels
• Open or click based splits do not fire, add Email Events filter on the same campaign and mailbox provider timeframe, then extend waits
• List based logic breaks, convert that logic to tag or field equals ac_list, avoid static lists, use Smart Lists everywhere
• Warm up stalls, send only to high engagement cohorts, then add 10 to 20 percent daily, keep complaint rate low

FAQ

Will my tags and custom fields carry over
Yes, export from ActiveCampaign and map during CSV import, tags import cleanly as a single column.

Can I keep list membership logic
Yes, mirror each AC list into a tag or a contact field, then build Smart Lists using those values.

Do automations transfer automatically
No, rebuild in Workflows, replicate triggers, waits, conditions, and goal style jumps.

How do I keep unsubscribes suppressed
Import unsubscribes and bounces as DND for Email, test a few records to confirm they are blocked.

Can I trigger workflows on opens or clicks like AC
Yes, use the Email Events trigger or filter for Opened or Clicked.

How do I avoid deliverability dips on cutover
Authenticate SPF, DKIM, DMARC, warm by engagement cohorts, monitor Postmaster, hold back cold segments initially.